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Could new zoning laws help educate poor kids?
Students take an online quiz at Bruce Monroe Elementary School in Washington, D.C.
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Bruce Monroe Elementary School in Washington, D.C.
Theresa King wants to move to a suburban school district.
Jeremy Hobson: A report out today from the Brookings Institution offers a theory on how to improve education for poor kids -- change zoning laws.
For an explanation, here's Marketplace's Nancy Marshall-Genzer from our Wealth and Poverty Desk.
Nancy Marshall-Genzer: It’s a busy morning at the Bruce Monroe Elementary School in Washington. Third-grader Marcus King sits to one side of his classroom, by himself. His mother, Theresa King, meets me there to talk about her dreams for Marcus, who has special needs. First off, a move to a better school district.
Theresa King: I would go. No question. I would definitely go.
King moved to Washington less than a year ago from a Maryland suburb, where Marcus’s classes were small.
King: He needs that one-on-one. Not just someone standing there, saying take out a piece of paper, write your name -- because he doesn’t understand that.
When King lost her job in Maryland, she and Marcus moved into public housing in the city. It wasn’t available in the suburbs.
Jonathan Rothwell says that’s no accident. He wrote the Brookings report on zoning.
Jonathan Rothwell: In most metropolitan areas, it’s impossible to build affordable housing in affluent neighborhoods because of zoning laws.
Those laws don’t allow apartment buildings or townhouses. Rothwell says zoning laws should be changed to require construction of affordable housing so low-income students can go to the best schools.
But urban policy consultant Wendell Cox says ultimately...
Wendell Cox: The way to improve educational performance is by fixing the schools.
In every neighborhood. Rothwell says that’ll take years. It’s more practical to change zoning laws to give kids like Marcus King a better education, so they can scramble a little higher on the economic ladder.
In Washington, I’m Nancy Marshall-Genzer for Marketplace.
I hate to be harsh but this has to be the most ridiculous story I have ever heard on Market Place. The supposition that creating low cost housing in better neighborhoods is faster than fixing the schools is ludicrous. Fix the neighborhood schools and give ALL children in those neighborhoods a fair shot at an education. One final comment, there is no substitute for parental involvement. Get the parents actively involved in these schools and the test scores will begin to improve. Just my two cents.
Dear Nancy Marshall-Genzer,
I really liked your story this morning. But, I think if you were to poll urban policy makers, urban planners, think tank staffers, etc. the would point you to about 10,000 better experts than Wendell Cox. His quote dismisses this very important story and point about the critical lack of affordable housing in our communities. But that he dismissed the idea is not suprising.
Please get in touch with many of the different people involved in this issue, perhaps starting with our national government and Sec. Donovan at HUD or staff such as Shelley Poticha, Director for Office of Sustainable Housing and Communities - http://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/HUD?src=/about/principal_staff/shelley_p...
This issue is vital to our nation's economic recovery and the health of all of our communities.
